Attachment for guitars.



No. 758,912. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904:.

L. P. HALLADAY.

ATTACHMENT FOR GUITARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1901.

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Patented May 3, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS P. HALLADAY, OF MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO IMPE- RIAL STAND COMPANY, OF MARION, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ATTACHMENT FOR GUITARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 758,912, dated May 3, 1904:.

Application filed December 30, 1901. Serial No. 87,670. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS P. HALLADAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Attachments for Guitars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in attachments for musical instruments, and has for its object to provide a new and improved attachment adapted to be used as a capo tasto for guitars and the like.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view of my improved attachment in position on the neck of a guitar. Fig. 2 is a view of the device as seen from above. Fig. 3 is a view of the attachment shown on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of the attachment in position on the neck of the guitar.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred'form of my invention, I provide a holding-piece consisting of two parts A and B, bent at an angle to each other, the part A being preferably straight and the part B curved. When the device is i in position, the part A is opposed to the upper face of the neck and the part B engages the lower face thereof with a stationary contact. Suspended in the angle between the parts A and B is a contact-bar C, adapted to make contact with the strings of the instrument. This contact-bar is preferably provided with a face D, of cork or other compressible material, which engages the strings and is preferably provided with a guide which engages the part B. As shown in Fig. 3, the bar 0 is grooved at the end, the partB being contained within said groove. The contactbar is attached to the part A by means of a screw E, and is moved so as to make proper contact with the strings of the instrument by means of the thumb piece or nut F.

In the preferred construction the screw E passes loosely through the part A and is fixed to the contact-bar O, the thumb piece or nut F being interposed between said contact-bar and the part A. Iprefer to attach a piece of rubber G or other soft material to the end of the piece B where it engages the lower face of the neck of the instrument, so as to prevent the injury or defacement thereof.

In attaching the device to the instrument the contact-bar is lifted,so as to leave suificient space between it and the part B, and the device then slid into position. The thumb piece or nut F is then turned and coming into contact with the upper part A forces the contact-bar O downward, so as to bring it into intimate contact with the strings of the instrument, and thus hold them against the frets, so as to produce the proper effect.

By making the contact-bar movable I insure its proper contact with the strings, so as to secure the proper tone, thus making the instrument accurate and reliable, and by having a stationary contact at the back of the neck of the instrument I prevent injury and defacement thereof. It will also be seen that by means of this construction there are no projecting parts at the back, and hence the hand of the player used to engage the strings to change the notes is not obstructed and has free play about the instrument. The attachment, therefore, does not interfere with the playing of the instrument.

I claim I 1. A capo tasto,comprising a holding-piece, consisting of two parts at an angleto each other, a contact-bar for engaging the strings of the instrument movably suspended in the angle between said parts, one end of said contactbar engaging said holding-piece, the other end being free one of said parts having a stationary contact with the back of the neck of the instrument while the contact-bar is being adjusted.

2. A capo tasto, comprising a holding-piece made of two parts at an angle to each other, a movable contact-bar adapted to make contact with the strings of the instrument,a screw connecting said contact-bar with one of the parts of the holding-piece, and a controlling or thumb piece located between the contact-bar and said part of the holding-piece.

3. A capo tasto, comprising a holding-piece, consisting of two parts at an angle to and integral with each other, a contact-bar for en gaging the strings of the instrument movably suspended in the angle between said parts, one of said parts having a stationary contact with the back of the neck of the instrument while the contact-bar is being adjusted, said contactbar having at one end a movable engagement with the latter part of said holding-piece, so that said part acts as a guide for the contactbar the other end of the contact-bar being free so as to leave that side of the instrument unobstructed.

4. A capo tasto, comprising a holding-piece, consisting of two parts at an angle to each other. a contact-bar for engaging the strings of the instrument movably suspended in the angle between said parts, one of said parts provided with a cushion-piece at the point where it makes contact with the back of the neck of the instrument and a controlling thumb-piece intermediate or between the contact-bar and the holding-piece.

5. Acapo tasto, comprising a bent holdingpiece having a fixed engaging part for the lower face of the neck of the instrument, a movable contact-bar above the neck of the instrument, adapted to be forced down upon the strings, said contact-bar at one end engaging the holding-piece and free at the other end, so as to leave that side of the instrument unobstructed.

LEWIS P. HALLADAY.

itnesses:

BERTHA L. HOWARD, O'rro E. McGUTonnoN. 

